Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Arrested in France Amid Controversy

Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, was arrested at Bourget airport near Paris due to an arrest warrant related to an ongoing police investigation. Authorities are scrutinizing Telegram for inadequate moderation potentially facilitating criminal activity. Telegram and officials did not offer immediate comments.

Pavel Durov, billionaire founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, was detained at the Bourget airport just outside Paris on Saturday evening, according to TF1 TV and BFM TV, which cited anonymous sources.

According to TF1, Durov was traveling on his private jet when he was apprehended under an arrest warrant issued in France amidst a preliminary police investigation. The investigation reportedly centers on insufficient moderation on Telegram, allowing unchecked criminal activities on the platform.

Telegram, headquartered in Dubai, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The French Interior Ministry and police also declined to comment. Durov, originally from Russia, left his home country in 2014 after he refused to shut down opposition groups on his VK social media platform, which he subsequently sold.

(With inputs from agencies.)